Isn't Water Kosher?

Ever notice how kosher symbols end up where you least expect them? Take apple juice. How could pressed apples not be kosher? Do you really have to worry that someone squeezed a little pig juice in that bottle before it was sealed?

Or, what could go wrong with, say… a bag of pretzels? Water, flour, salt. Sounds pretty kosher to us. How about a can of peas? Peas, water, salt. How much more kosher could you get? What about bottled water? Is there anything more kosher than water? Why does my Dasani need that little OU on the label?

Is every kosher symbol needed? No. Many everyday foods are perfectly kosher with no supervision whatsoever. But since the kosher market is worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year, some manufacturers invest in kosher certification for pure marketing reasons.

In the U.S., almost all bottled beverages are pasteurized.

But commercial food production is nothing like what happens in your kitchen. You'd be surprised to find that lots of ordinary foods can become un-kosher quite easily. For example: spring water. In the U.S., almost all bottled beverages must be pasteurized. Your spring water may run through the same bottling facility as non-kosher grape juice or drinks with non-kosher flavoring. Without a kosher symbol, your Perrier could be perilously close to non-kosher. Pretzels? Canned peas? Not so simple at all (see below).

We spoke with Rabbi Moshe Weiner at Flatbush's Kashrus Information Center to learn more about why lots and lots of ordinary foods really do require competent kosher supervision.

Commercial Production

Keeping kosher at home can be a challenge. Keeping kosher in the factory can be a nightmare. What can go wrong in a food factory? Lots. And the use of cooking utensils constitutes some of the most common kashrut problems:

The Torah prohibits not only non-kosher food, but also the flavor of non-kosher food. Flavor, as defined by the Torah, can be transferred back and forth between food and utensils. So a pot or spoon might absorb flavor from a non-kosher product, then transfer it to an otherwise kosher product. In short: any food that has been cooked in any way whatsoever is suspect.

Commercial food factories are often shared by numerous manufacturers. The assembly line that today is baking your kosher biscuits might yesterday have been baking someone else's pepperoni pizza. Without an intensive cleaning in between, each biscuit is about as kosher as bacon.

Some banana chips are fried on the plantation where they are picked… in the same utensils the workers use to fry their burgers and ham. One kosher manufacturer once used a non-kosher facility to produce a run of margarine, only to discover after the fact that some of the equipment had never been kashered. Result: a three-month supply of kosher margarine that wasn't kosher.

Additionally, many foods are transported before packaging. For example, milk might be brought by truck from the dairy farm to the bottling plant. Trucks that have been used for non-kosher foods might render the milk non-kosher. Cooking oil is often transported in heated shipping containers. The containers require kosher supervision.

This intensive cleaning process -- kashering -- must render the equipment spotless and flavor-neutral. Only then may kosher production begin. The kashering must be performed properly by knowledgeable people. Then you have to worry about…

Secret Ingredients

Commercial food production involves stuff you'd never find on the shelves at the Stop-and-Shop: stabilizers, conditioners, clarifiers, enzymes and more. That's just the stuff you don't notice. Natural flavors and colors could be made from anything, and they're used everywhere.

Imported honey has been found adulterated with up to 30% corn syrup, a concern for Ashkenazim on Pesach. Some candies are made with shellac, a shiny resin that comes from lac bugs. Not kosher. "Natural" flavors could come from animal fats. Not kosher.

Flavors can contain as many as 1,500 sub-ingredients, any one of which might by non-kosher and compromise the whole product. As a rule, flavors are never considered "nullified" -- even in the tiniest quantities. This even extends to food products not meant for consumption, such as grease used on baking pans, or gum meant for chewing only. Some unlikely (and unappetizing) sources of common flavors: sperm whale intestines (ambergris), cat guts (civet), beaver glands (castorium), pig pancreas (alpha amylase) and blood (albumen). Natural colors can be derived from dried insects (carmine).

With Israeli products, it's even more complicated. The Torah laws of Shmita, Orlah, Trumah and Ma'aser limit how Israeli produce may be used. If any part of your dinner was imported from the Holy Land, it probably needs special attention to be kosher.

Common Problems

What follows is a list of common foods that probably show up on your shopping list every week. But when it comes to kashrut, none of these "common" foods are commonly kosher:

• Canned goods: Canned peas contains peas, water and salt. Sounds kosher. But that can was cooked in the same factory where non-kosher canned goods may have been cooked just hours before. For example, cans of baked beans and cans of baked pork-and-beans often come off the same production line. Also, foods canned abroad (in China, for example) often contain non-kosher additives.

• Produce: Many leafy greens (lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) are infested with tiny insects that are not kosher. If you can't or won't examine the veggies yourself, purchase packaged produce that has been pre-checked or produced in an insect-free greenhouse… and has reliable kosher supervision. Produce can also be coated with wax made from animal oils. Beware of fruits or vegetables sprayed with oleo (animal-based waxes).

Furthermore, Rabbi Weiner says that kosher supervision is recommended for frozen produce, which is blanched (lightly boiled) before packaging.

• Candy: May contain oils, flavors, glycerides or colors of non-kosher origin. Milk chocolate has the same concerns as other dairy products. All require adequate supervision.

• Bottled beverages: Juices may be treated with enzymes. Juice and beer may be filtered through glycerin or gelatin which are clarifiers. Many juices and sodas contain flavorings. Many beverages are transported by truck or shipping container before bottling. Nearly all are pasteurized. All require supervision.

• Spices: Spice companies generally use a single oven to dry all their products. Paprika could be side-by-side with the bacon bits. Look for a reliable kosher symbol.

• Vinegar: Often made from non-kosher wine; requires supervision. Note that vinegar is a common ingredient in dressings, sauces, pickles, etc.

• Dish detergents: Though they're not edible, detergents can contain colorings or scents of non-kosher origin. You don't want you dishing soaking in them! Use detergent with a reliable kosher symbol.

• Aluminum foil, plastic wrap & paper towels: Although these often bear a kosher symbol, they normally do not require supervision.

• Oils: These undergo a purification process similar to pasteurization. Imported oils from the Far East are especially problematic. All oils require supervision.

• Potato chips: Raw potatoes? No problem. But when it comes to flavorings, oil and baking/frying -- supervision is required.

• Baked goods: Pretzels, cookies, cakes, etc. often contain oils, conditioners or glycerides that could be non-kosher. All require supervision. Bagels are commonly made from mixes which include dough conditioners and "release agents" (a baked-in non-stick ingredient); both ingredients could be animal-based and non-kosher.

• Gelatin: This is made from the dried bones of animals that are non-kosher. Kosher gelatin is made either from fish bones, or from bones of kosher-slaughtered animals.

• Dairy products: Milk requires pasteurizing and bottling in a kosher plant. Yogurt often contains flavors which might be non-kosher. Enzymes used for making cheese must come from a kosher source (in kosher cheese production, most curdling agents are derived from plants or chemicals).

• Dry beans, grains & rice: These generally do not require supervision. However, parboiled rice has been pre-cooked; enriched rice has vitamins added. Both require supervision.

• Sugar & sweeteners: Sugar does not require supervision. Sweeteners do. Aspartame is made with phenylalamine, which can be derived from eggs or blood. Other sweeteners may contain cream of tartar, made from residue of (non-kosher) wine production.

• Honey & maple syrup: Not only pasteurized, these may also be adulterated. Requires supervision.

• Meat & poultry: Requires kosher slaughter and proper salting to remove the blood. Also requires proper packaging, so it cannot be confused or switched with non-kosher products.

• Fish: You need to verify that indeed the fish is of a kosher species -- i.e. that the skin is still intact, with the scales attached. There is an additional concern that the fish was cut with a non-kosher knife. Pickled or salted fish may only be purchased with rabbinic supervision.

Rogue ‘K' Symbol

One final word about kosher symbols: Just because a product is labeled with a "K" does not necessarily mean it's kosher. In America, there is no law barring a company from putting any letter they want on a label -- whether ice tea or pork rinds.

One rabbi says that he was supervising a kosher bakery in Florida, and they wanted to start using a non-kosher ingredient. So the rabbi told them, "If you use that ingredient, I will have to remove the certification." They replied, "That's okay, we'll just continue putting a 'K' on our packaging anyway."

A handful of national kosher agencies are widely accepted to be reliable and responsible. When it comes to shopping for kosher food, the consumer can take almost nothing for granted. Even the simplest foods can become quite complicated when produced commercially. If you spot a kosher symbol where you'd least expect it, chances are it's there for a reason. Ask your rabbi which kosher symbols to rely on in your home.

But don't let all this scare you. No matter whether you're in New York or Nebraska, your local supermarket is packed with products bearing a reliable kosher symbol. Fortunately, it's never been easier to find kosher food.

Reprinted with permission from Community Magazine, the most widely circulated Sephardic monthly in the world.

About the Author

Aryeh Zev Narrow has been in publishing and communications for nearly ten years (aznarrow.com). He''s now a freelance copywriter and marketing consultant (and occasional journalist) residing in Spring Valley, NY.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 21

(16)
Anonymous,
April 13, 2016 5:42 PM

Excellent and very useful article! Thanks for posting!

(15)
Batya,
February 18, 2009 4:35 PM

Jeremy L--Kosher is not so hard!

I've been keeping a fairly high level of kashruth for a few years now, and it's not that hard! To begin, things only need a heksher if they are processed. Limiting the amount of processed foods you eat in the first place is a great start. Veggies and fruits don't need hekshers. Making your own foods is also a good place to start. It cuts down the difficulty in keeping kosher because you are "processing" something yourself instead of eating foods that someone else processed. Plus, it should be easier to find, say, flour with a heksher (out of which you can make all sorts of things: pastas, pizza dough, breads, muffins, pastries) and other basic ingredients (dried beans, flour, olive oil, butter, etc.) than ready-made items with hekshers (making your own tomato soup vs. trying to find ready-made tomato soup with a heksher). Maybe I'm spoiled, though, because where I live I can even get Orthodox Union dairy products. Good luck in East Texas, and try eating less processed food.

(14)
Jeremy L,
October 6, 2008 4:15 AM

The Un-Kosher World

I am a conservative "convert in training" and I have made the choice to go kosher, I don't know, maybe 2 months ago? It hasn't been easy at all. Besides the fact that I live in the "Bible Belt" of East Texas the only place I can even think of finding kosher products is Wal-Mart. I pretty much live of noodles and bread because you can hardly find any kosher meat where I live. I sometimes think is it worth practically starving myself, Just to be Kosher? I see Reform and Reco's that eat Sausage Pizza and Bacon and they are born Jews,but me a converting ex-catholic is observing the laws of kashrut?? It is kind of irritating.

Yehudit,
May 12, 2011 11:24 PM

Dear Jeremy

I am a convert [originally Reform, later according to halacha ]-and I want to give you encouragement. Learn as much as you can about the Torah way of looking at things. It is not worth comparing yourself to nonobservant Jews. They have an entirely different set of challenges from G-d than you do. Try to have an attitude of " this is the right thing, now how can I do it?".There are many Jews, from Chabad for instance, who go to far away places so that they can help Jews return to their roots, and they somehow manage to keep kosher. There are others of us who visit our nonJewish families and also manage. Maybe you can ask people for ideas and assistance. Maybe you'll end up moving one day. Maybe you are starting off taking on too much if you really feel you aren't eating healthily.

Susan,
March 27, 2012 6:43 PM

purchasing Kosher

Dear Jeremy L. Have you tried on line purchases if possible? They can deliver meat frozen. Also maybe try a Health Food Store. Trader Joes, possibly Costco or Whole Foods in your area? I find National Hebrew Hot Dogs there and in our local Northwest Indiana grocers. Ask the manager, years ago, I asked our grocer to carry some organic foods and lo and behold, 7 years later, there is more in that store than I could ever hope for. Ask for some Kosher foods/organic foods. All they can do is refuse OR start carrying it! My health food store carries many things I can eat. Yes, I pay more. I treasure every bite.

Grace,
September 1, 2012 12:27 PM

I just ran across this article. I want to say I understand how you feel, I live in Oklahoma. I've discovered that getting food from farmers markets or other "health food" stores is the way to go. They often times cater to vegetarians, and you will also notice a large majority of their foods will have a kosher symbol!

Miriam,
December 25, 2016 7:49 PM

Consult your Rabbi

I became Orthodox a while back, and I appreciate your difficulties and sincerely wish you hatzlacha and bracha in your spiritual growth. If you have an Orthodox Rabbi, then he would be able to offer you an advice as to which items can be obtained in the stores in your area. Simple example would include canned salmon etc. It may be possible to order whole kosher fish with fins and scales (not cut and not cleaned) in the stores in your area. Regarding living off noodles and bread, it seems to me that you need to download a list of reliable kashrut symbols from a reliable Orthodox kashrut organization site as well as subscribe to kashrut alerts, and you will then discover an endless variety of all kinds of kosher products which you may not have realized exist in various local stores. You may want to learn how to examine vegetables for bugs. Many don't have bugs, like tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and other root vegetables. Again the Rabbi will be able to show you how to examine the vegetables and fruits. Regarding meat or chicken, I know some people who order online or drive to the nearest place where it is available, freeze, transport back in a cooler with ice, and store in a freezer. I am not versed in the geography of East Texas, may be this approach is not practical for this area. Are there any other Orthodox Jews around?

(13)
PP,
August 3, 2008 8:14 AM

Kosher & Non-kosher

Having read all that -This world is becoming a trashcan...what a crazy world I am living in.

(12)
Beverly Kurtin, Ph.D.,
June 29, 2008 2:03 PM

Kosher, deep in the heart of Texas

Trying to live totally Kosher in the wilds of Texas is neigh unto impossible. We have become semi-vegetarians out of necessity, kosher meat, etc. is prohibitively costly, plus having to drive to a major city to purchase kosher goods simply exacerbates the situation when the price of gasoline is taken into consideration.

We bake our own bread starting with flour that we have freshly ground in our mill. (It is so loud that I have to wear ear protection!) I love to use my home-made malt instead of sugar or other sweetener. It adds a flavor that is simply not available in any commercially baked bread and the yeast loves it.

We filter our water only to eliminate some of the off taste that we get from time-to-time. Bottled water? How did the world survive for millennia without buying water in a bottle? I do admit to loving the stuff when I'm out and about and have run out of the water I normally have with me. It's great to be able to buy a cold bottle of water when that is all I want: Water, not soda or juiceâ€¦just nice, clean and pure water.

(Living as I do in the United States, I am grateful to Hashem for the abundance of potable water we have here. I see what people in other parts of the world, principally Africa, have to go through to get water, and even then is it usually infested with disease causing pathogens. We should all pause for a moment to thank G-d for the life giving water we can have at the turn of a faucet.)

If one looks at the list of ingredients of most foods they will find that in addition to being impossible to pronounce, it is equally impossible to know for certain if something is kosher or not. We avoid most canned goods and are careful to ask where our produce comes from. Much of the produce we are getting is coming from areas of the world that use recycled water over and over again which causes outbreaks of disease, such as the recent cases of salmonella in tomatoes from Mexico and Florida. So we try to purchase only locally grown produce and when something is out of season WE DO NOT PURCHASE IT!

Most cities and towns have a farmer's market where locally grown produce can be purchased. Still you have to ask where the produce came from as they do supplement their locally grown food with things that were grown out of the area. Ask, they won't mind or be upset. The best part is that the prices are usually comparable with large grocery stores or cheaper!

When you see plums on the shelves in December, do you really think they were grown in the United States? They probably come from Chili or another South American country where they spray chemicals that are prohibited in the United States. Our bodies were designed to eat what is available seasonally. If you live in Chili, eat their plums. If you don't, don't.

Long ago we gave up eating the "modern" way. We grind our own wheat, use fresh eggs, eat real butter (margarine is nothing more than edible plastic) drink real full fat milk, make our own pasta from scratch, grow our own vegetables in the summer, eat whole grain buckwheat, barley, oats etc. In other words, we've gone back to eating a simpler diet. And for those for whom "fat" is a four-letter word, by eliminating most, if not all, animal flesh and using only fat from our milk and butter, our cholesterol has nose dived without our having to take pills that can and do cause liver problems. Plus, my blood pressure is an enviable 120/55 without taking pills!

Hashem gave us a handbook on living a long and healthy life, one that is virtually stress free and nourishing for both our bodies and souls. You knowâ€¦the Torah. So even here in Texas, we can eat a diet that is basically kosher without having to rely on any kosher symbols, after all, we now know that they don't always mean anything. By making the effort to eat the wholesome diet Hashem prescribed for us, we can look forward to a long and healthy life.

(11)
Daniela,
June 26, 2008 12:44 AM

YAY !!!

PLEASE let''s get back to more articles like these on Aish.com ! Politics and opinions are fine, but I feel like there''s hardly any plain ol'' Torah anymore !

Oh, and as for things that don''t necessarily need kosher certification costing more because of it, don''t be silly ! There are plenty of name brands without certification that are more expensive than other brands and plenty of generic items with kosher certification that cost exactly the same as generic items without it. Please. At least when it comes to foods that have a higher price because of what it takes to get the certification, we''re mostly talking about cutting out ingredients that contain bug parts ! EW ! Thank G-d for hech''sherim !

(10)
david,
June 25, 2008 2:40 PM

oil

please note that extra virgin olive oil does not require a hechsher/kosher supervision

(9)
Ester,
June 24, 2008 12:09 AM

To Ruth Housman:

I usually enjoy your deep and poetic comments, especially your clever plays on words. But sometimes, well...
So you think environmentalism is more important than KashRuth, while G-d thinks KashRuth is more important (as He tells us in His Torah). Hmmm. Whose opinion should I accept?
And about Sufism (mentioned in your other comments) - this is possibly avodah zarah, and certainly a strange religion, forbidden to Jews no matter how lofty it seems. Have you finished learning our own precious Torah? You'll find everything in it, for this is the only TRuth, the whole TRuth, and nothing but the TRuth.

ruth housman,
April 3, 2011 9:46 PM

Sufism and other spiritual beliefs

This comment came a long time ago. So responding is probably not going to be seen. What is written above is wrong, and it's wrong because it is very clear we are ALL drawing from the same spiritual well. As in the Zohar, a river runs through it.
All spiritual traditions are deeply about what is truth, or EMET.
You are so wrong, whoever wrote to me above. What is forbidden to Jews is not learning, not to the people known as the People of, The BOOK. I would suggest that leaving behind Judaism and exploring the world of spirituality, of ideas, of deep and lasting truths, about the universe, would be a mind expanding idea. As to Rumi and the Sufi poets, they had it so right. And now, we are getting it on line too at Chabad, that ALL IS G_D. NO difference at all, in terms of deep spiritual beliefs.
Excuse me, but I can say it, and I will, YOU ARE WRONG.
Maybe education is the key, and insularity is not a good idea.

(8)
Aryeh Zev Narrow,
June 23, 2008 9:37 AM

Response

My responses to some of your comments:

1. Thanks, Morty!2. Distasteful flavors (such as soap) do not render food or dishes unkosher. However, there is also the issue of "timtum halev" ("clogging the heart/soul"). For this reason, some rabbis advise avoiding non-kosher items that are technically permitted.4. & 5. Like #1 said: Buyer beware!6. See kashrusmagazine.com. But you still have to ask your rabbi which ones to rely on.7. The added cost is usually negligible. It can *reduce* the cost if it increases the product's marketability! I have no problem with an unneeded OU on a bag of rice.

Thanks for your comments, everyone!

Aryeh Zev Narrowaryeh@aznarrow.com

(7)
Mordechai Schiller,
June 22, 2008 4:00 PM

Important heads-up

Yashar koach!

It all boils down to the old adage: caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware! Educated consumers have learned to take a closer look at products for threats to health. Kosher consumers should be no less educated and careful about threats to kashrus observance. Otherwise we might just wind up with "kosher style" food!

(6)
Ben Powers,
June 22, 2008 1:10 PM

Kosher Dish Soap?

Do we REALLY need a hechsher on dish soap? Inedible items do not need to be kosher. I learned that if a dog wouldn't eat it, then it's not considered edible. I don't know any dogs that would lick up a spill of dish soap, do you?

(5)
ruth housman,
June 22, 2008 1:07 PM

the rogue K

Hi, I like it that my name is contained by Kashrut and that you have certainly in detailing what's not kosher and why, Narrow ed down for us all in a very cogent and deep manner.

I am more concerned these "daze" about what's happening to the water supply around the world. There are companies that sell water that are not necessarily drawing their water from pure sources as water is not regulated. Also around the world, people are dying by the hundreds, daily, men, women and children, for lack of clean water. Why? I mean, the big bottling companies are coming in with water that is certainly much purer than the local sources, but they are charging people, people who have no means of support, to buy this water. So these folks are having drink from polluted streams. The Ganges is being dammed. I am saying that what is damned is what's happening around the world. I say, it's not "kosher" and what we are doing in this world has to be addressed by us all.

So I am more concerned about these issues. I saw a movie recently called For Love of Water. I do believe to be a Jew is to honor tikkun olam and that the "kosher" problem goes much, much deeper.

in truth/ruth

(4)
Ronni,
June 22, 2008 11:37 AM

one more

One more thing that I find really upsetting are so called kosher delis and bakeries. They sell all traditional Jewish foods but that challah and pastrami sandwhich are about as unkosher as you can get especially if you see the words kosher-style or a conservative "rabbi" gives his supervision since they don't follow the laws of kosher at all as they're given from the Torah.

(3)
phil Hanfling,
June 22, 2008 10:15 AM

excellent

almost no product can be 100% kosher. The mashgiach can only spot check.A bakery can have a pizza party Friday night and no one will ever know.Kosher is an honor system .

(2)
Gabriel Silverstein,
June 22, 2008 10:01 AM

Where to Find a Summary of Valid Kosher Certifying Agencies?

Does anyone publish and update a list of the many kosher certifying agencies in the US and around the world? There seems to have been a proliferation of them in recent years and it would be great to find a resource that can be checked to be sure the certification itself is kosher.

(1)
Anonymous,
June 22, 2008 9:44 AM

kosher symbols - a way to make money

The article is very informative - but also points out the many products that do not need kosher certification. It's all well and good to say the manufacturers want it for marketing purposes - but it is the obligation of Jewish organizations like the OU to look out for the benefit of the Jewish consumer - we are paying extra costs and higher prices for things that do not need certification. It is time that the kashrut organizations stand up and refuse to certify things that don't need it and thus help save us some money, instead of increasing the premium we are paying for keeping kosher.

I always loved the story of Jonah and the whale. Why do we read it during the afternoon service of Yom Kippur?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Let's recap the story: God tells Jonah to go to Ninveh and to prophesy that in 40 days, God will destroy the city. Instead, Jonah goes to Jaffa, boards a ship, and sails for Tarshish. A great storm arises. Frightened, Jonah goes to sleep in the ship's hold. The sailors somehow recognize that Jonah is responsible for the storm. They throw him overboard, and the sea becomes calm.

A great fish swallows Jonah. Then three days later, God commands the fish to spit Jonah back out upon dry land. God tells Jonah, "Let's try it again. Go to Ninveh and tell them in 40 days I will destroy the city."

The story is a metaphor for our struggle for clarity. Jonah is the soul. The soul is assigned to sanctify the world, and draw it close to God. But we are seduced by the world's beauty. (Jaffa in Hebrew means "beauty.") The ship is the body, the sea is the world, and the storm is life's pains and troubles. God hopes confrontation with mortality will inspire us to examine our lives. But Jonah's is the more common response - we go to sleep (have a beer, turn on the television). The sailors throw Jonah overboard - this is death. The fish that swallows Jonah is the grave. Jonah is spat back upon the land - reincarnation. And the Almighty tells us to try again. "Go sanctify the world and bring it close to God."

Each of us is born with an opportunity and a challenge. We each have unique gifts to offer the world and unique challenges to perfect ourselves. If we leave the task unfinished the first time, we get a second chance. Jonah teaches us that repentance can reverse a harsh decree. If the residents of Ninveh had the ability to correct their mistakes and do teshuva, how much more so do we have the ability to correct our former mistakes and do teshuva.

(source: "The Bible for the Clueless But Curious," by Rabbi Nachum Braverman)

In 1948, Egypt launched a large-scale offensive against the Negev region of Israel. This was part of the War of Independence, an attack by five Arab armies designed to "drive the Jews into the sea." Though the Jews were under-armed, untrained, and few in number, through ingenuity and perseverance they staved off the attacks and secured the borders. Yet the price was high -- Israel lost 6,373 of its people, a full one percent of the Jewish population of Israel at the time.

And what does teshuvah consist of? [Repentance to the degree] that the One Who knows all that is hidden will testify that he will never again repeat this sin(Maimonides, Laws of Teshuvah 2:2).

"How can this be?" ask the commentaries. "Inasmuch as man always has free choice to do good or evil, to sin or not to sin, how can God testify that a person will never repeat a particular sin? Is this not a repudiation of one's free will?"

The answer to this came to me at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, at which the speaker, a man who had been sober for twenty-one years, said, "The man I was drank. The man I was will drink again. But now I am a different man."

A sin does not occur in a vacuum. A person who is devout does not abruptly decide to eat treifah. A sin occurs when a person is in such a state that a particular act is not anathema to him.

Consequently, repentance is not complete if one merely regrets having done wrong. One must ask, "How did this sin ever come about? In what kind of a state was I that permitted me to commit this sin?"

True repentance thus consists of changing one's character to the point where, as the person is now, one can no longer even consider doing the forbidden act. Of course, the person's character may deteriorate - and if it does, he may sin again.

God does not testify that the person will never repeat the sin, but rather that his degree of repentance and correction of his character defects are such that, as long as he maintains his new status, he will not commit that sin.

Today I shall...

try to understand how I came to do those things that I regret having done, and bring myself to a state where such acts will be alien to me.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...